Re: Sin Fein Leader's Visa Status


GeoffP wrote:
> "Hindu Individual" <royalflush@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:1132087777.407499.81050@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > All Irish-American supporters of the Irish nationalist cause
> > should write to the President, State Department, and their senators and
> >
> > representatives to object to the fundraising restrictions put on Gerry
> > Adam's visa which led him to cancel his trip to New York last week.
> >
> >
> > Here is some contact info, and below the text of letter I just sent.
> >
> >
> > read more:
> >
> >
> > http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2005/11/05/sinn_fein...
> >
> >
> >
> > Contacting the White House
> >
> >
> > Mailing Address
> >
> >
> > The White House
> > 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
> > Washington, DC 20500
> >
> >
> > Phone Numbers
> >
> >
> > Comments: 202-456-1111
> > Switchboard: 202-456-1414
> > FAX: 202-456-2461
> >
> >
> > TTY/TDD
> >
> >
> > Comments: 202-456-6213
> > Visitors Office: 202-456-2121
> >
> >
> > E-Mail
> > presid...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > or comme...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >
> >
> > State Department:
> >
> >
> > The Bureau of European and Eurasian
> > Affairs,
> > Office of Public Affairs, Room 4515,
> > Department of State,
> > 2201 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20520
> >
> > Tel: (202)
> > 647-9761
> > TTY:
> > 1-800-877-8339 (Federal Relay Service)
> >
> >
> > Email page State Dept. Website:
> > http://contact-us.state.gov/
> >
> >
> > Contact for Reps:http://www.house.gov/writerep/
> > Senate website: http://www.senate.gov/
> >
> >
> > Dear __________
> > I write to protest the decision to refuse Gerry Adams, Sinn
> > Fein leader from Ireland, a visa which would allow him to carry out
> > fund-raising among his American supporters. Why does the current
> > administration think it is necessary to deny the leader of the
> > republicans of Northern Ireland the ability to conduct political
> > activities among the large group, Irish-American and otherwise, of U.S.
> >
> > supporters of Ireland? It is extremely disappointing to see the Bush
> > administration preventing the supporters of Sinn Fein and the Irish
> > nationalist cause from enjoying the free political discourse, regarding
> >
> > speech as well as finances, which has always been part of the life of
> > the United States.
> >
> >
> > Gerry Adams deserves to be treated with the respect of any other
> > European politician. His cause is the cause held dear by the majority
> > of Irish-Americans. The decision to limit his visa status serves only
> > to stigmatize the nationalist cause in Northern Ireland, and that is
> > simply unacceptable to Irish-Americans.
> >
> >
> > Gerry Adams and Sinn Fein have taken enormous steps towards ending
> > the violence in Northern Ireland, as any observer of the progress of
> > the Good Friday Accords can see. But despite this, the State Department
> >
> > makes a decision, apparently quite an arbitrary one, to forbid the
> > leading representative of the Irish nationalist cause participating in
> > those Accords to solicit funds in the United States. The fact that this
> >
> > is a reversal of policy in regards to Mr. Adams from the previous U.S.
> > administration implies a punitive intent on your part. This is
> > extraordinary considering the distance traveled since the Clinton
> > administration towards a complete cessation of military action by the
> > Irish Republican Army; isn't such movement exactly what the Bush
> > Administration seeks to encourage? If so, vilifying Gerry Adams with a
> > prohibitive visa status is not the way to go about it.
> >
> >
> > Could you please supply me with the State Department's rationale
> > for the decision on Mr. Adams' visa, or refer me to where I can read it
> >
> > in its entirety?
> >
> >
> > I will be sending this letter on to all my Irish-American friends
> > and acquaintances, Republican and Democrat alike, and I very much hope
> > the Bush administration will remedy this situation and in the future
> > reconsider making any similar decision regarding Irish nationalist
> > leaders visiting America.
> >
> >
> > Yours Sincerely,
> Another terrorist organization. Are you stupid? You agree with the IRA knee
> capping any catholic that consorts with an Anglican?

First, Sinn Fein is a political organization; they're not
knee-capping anyone. Second, the IRA didn't kneecap "any catholic" for
"consorting with Anglicans".
The sectarian violence in Ireland is a result of a failed attempt
at British colonization. The Ulster British kill the Irish, the Irish
kill the Ulster British. The root of the problem is very simple:
British occupation of Irish territory. I don't agree with all of the
violence that has been carried out in the name of the IRA, but I do
support the right to use force to oppose the British presence in
Ireland.

> any other country interfering in the USA but have no compunction interfering
> with other countries. The IRA is a terrorist organization that kills and
> maims civilians. The people in Northern Ireland WANT to be British.

Northern Ireland is an artificial statelet gerrymandered in 1920 by
British politicians for their own convenience. Only the entire
population of Ireland has a right to decide on the
nature of sovereignty for any part of the island of Ireland. How would
you feel if part of Birmingham or London voted to become Pakistani or
some other nationality? Acc'd to your logic they would have the right
since they are a majority in those particular areas.

> Britt's don't want them LOL. They just don't want to abandon them. What good
> is Northern Ireland to the Britt's? Another example of SOME (Not all)
> Americans not understanding world politics yet wanting to intervene

Finally, the British Government has recognized Gerry Adams'
legitimacy and has worked with him to implement the Good Friday
Accords, in respect of which the IRA has formally announced a ceasefire
and publicly discarded their weapons. Have you been keeping up with the
news from Ireland lately, Mr World Politics Expert? But why bother
doing that when you can offer up the ever popular "knee-capping"
argument.

It's your understanding that's the problem here.
- Otto

> Geoff.

.